Bob Finnan's NBA notes: Mike Brown working on his Cavs coaching staff

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown is piecing together his coaching staff in Cleveland.

One of his first calls likely went to former offensive coordinator John Kuester. Brown would like to add him to his staff. However, sources say he might be reluctant to return to the NBA.

Kuester's last two jobs have ended badly. He was 57-107 (.348) as the head coach with the Detroit Pistons. There was almost a player revolt there, and he was fired on June 5, 2011.

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Kuester, 58, returned to the NBA the following season as Brown's lead assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was relieved of his duties after one season and became an advance scout.

So, does he want to get back in the league? Sources are torn whether he'll join Brown's staff. He was an assistant under Brown with the Cavs in 2007-09.

One name that makes sense is former Cavs guard Eric Snow, who was an assistant under Larry Brown at SMU this past season. He doesn't have vast coaching experience, but he seems like he'd be a Brown-type guy. He's disciplined, hard-working and no-nonsense.

One former player who likely called Brown is ex-Cavs forward Donyell Marshall, who is living in the Cleveland area. He coached in the NBA Development League two years ago.

Brown's influence on Irving

Many observers can't wait to see how this plays out. As you probably know, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving didn't exactly put forth a lot of effort on the defensive end.

In the past, if you didn't play defense, no matter who you are, you wouldn't get regular minutes under Brown's helm. Would Brown actually sit Irving if he didn't play defense? How would that go over with ownership? Would he have the front office's backing on such a move?

Former Cavs forward LeBron James wasn't an all-defensive performer his first season in the NBA. However, someone got in his ear and informed him that he needed to improve his defense. He came back the next year and became one of the league's top perimeter defenders.

It's not known what role Brown had in James' transformation. One suspects he had a lot to do with it.

Can he do the same thing with Irving? Irving is not the physical monster that James is. However, he's athletic and quick. The biggest thing is he needs to have the want-to, the desire to be the best defender he can be. In the past, it was as if he didn't want to be bothered with defense.

Mark my words, he'll be a better defender next year.

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Loved the story out of San Antonio this week regarding forward/center Tim Duncan. He said he's not on Twitter and won't be any time soon. "I have no desire to tell you guys what I'm doing," Duncan said.

Rumor mill

-- The whispers are becoming louder around the league. They say the Cavaliers might be willing to part with some of their young talent in trades. They went through all the growing pains with Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson, and now they're going to include them in trades? Sorry, I don't buy it.

-- If the Cavs are ever going to have a chance to get their hands on players like LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love, they'll have to deal players like Waiters and Thompson, and much more.

-- According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers will receive 20 to 50 percent of the money they owe Brown. They owe Brown about $7 million over the next two seasons, but could recoup anywhere from $1.5 million to $3.5 million because he signed a reported five-year, $20 million contract. The Lakers won't know exactly how much they get back until they see final contract figures next month.

-- The Cavs' most prominent free agents are guards Wayne Ellington and Shaun Livingston and center Marreese Speights. The Cavs would like to sign Ellington. That means presenting him a qualifying offer of $3 million. It's not as easy with Speights. It appears as if they hope he opts out of his deal. He might not fit their culture. Livingston emerged as a top-notch backup point -- not quite as good as Golden State's Jarrett Jack -- but still a quality guard, nonetheless. He'll likely ask for $3 million or $4 million, and settle for something like $2 million or $2.5 million, a source said. Will the Cavs ante up that kind of money for him? They should.

-- The Cavs own a team option on swingman C.J. Miles' $2 million contract for next season. It's not cut-and-dry that they pick it up, like once thought.

-- The Cavs certainly need perimeter shooting. One of the top free agents available is Bucks shooting guard J.J. Redick. He could return to the Bucks.

-- There are rumors the Bobcats could blow up their front office. They've done some good things in Charlotte. They've talked to former Lakers and Bulls coach Phil Jackson for a possible role in the front office. One wonders if Jackson is willing to roll up his sleeves and take on a rebuilding project like the Bobcats.

-- Jackson might have interest in Toronto, also, if the Raptors don't bring back Bryan Colangelo. His contract is expiring and the Raptors might have some reservations bringing him back.

-- The Pistons want to re-sign point guard Jose Calderon. They really like him.

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Information for the NBA notebook was gathered by personal interviews and from other beat writers around the league.